Metal covered brick



n Feb. 27, 1934. R. w, LOEFFLEIQ 1,949,079

METAL COVERED BRICK Filed Nov. 25, 1931 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

www #Immer ATTORNEYS Feb. 27, 1934. R. w. LoEFFLl-:R

METAL COVERED BRICK vFiled. Nov,A 23,. 1931 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 y INVENToR. Rudolph WLoeffler ATTORNEY` METAL COVERED BRICK Filed Nov. 23, 1931 v s sheets-sheet 3 IN VEN TOR.

' Rudolph WLoeffler Y A T TORNEY' Feb. 27, 1934.^ R. w. LoFFLr-:R v 1,949,079

METAL COVERED BRICK Filed Nov. 23, 1931 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 iff/9.114

INVENTR.

Feb- 2.7, 1934 R. w. LoEFFLr-: v 1,949,079

I METAL COVERED BRICK l Filed Nov. 2s", 1951 5 shams-sheet 5 y INVENTOR. RudoQu/l I fLoeffer I ATTORNEY/' Patented Feb. 27, 1934 1,949,019 v METAL covEnED nmox Rudolph w. Loemer, Baltimore, Ma.

Application November 23. 1931 Serial No. 576,758

11 claims. (ci. l12,--:45)

'rms invention relates to n brick or building block which may be adapted to give the effect of a tiled wall. The brick or block consists of a hollow metal casing in the form `of a ring open at the top and bottom but preferably coated'with porcelain. The blocks may be made with or without metal lugs whereby one block is positioned relatively to the other and set up to form a wall and then lled with a binding material such as concrete.` The blocks or casings not provided with positioning means are lled at the factory or at any time before laying, and then laid with mortar like bricks. They may be used to form a complete wall or as a facing for a supporting wall. They are particularily desirable for subway stations and the like where the walls are subjected to vibration, being better adapted to withstand such vibration than the usual tile facing 2o used in such places.

wall of sheathing or the like in the construction referred to as brick veneer, the blocks are provided with projecting flanges which space the blocks from the supporting wall and form an air villl space between the wall and the bricks or blocks.

The flanges preferably extend less than the whole length of the block so as to leave openings ogs.- nectingl the spaces between the flanges.

To increase the sturdiness of the wall the supporting wall and blocks may be provided with interlocking members which secure them together.

In the drawings I have shown several'einbodiments of my invention by way of example.

Figure 1 is a perspective view. of a blank cut or punched, and ready to be folded to form a' block.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the blank partly folded.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the folded blank Vwith its ends welded together, but with the guides not yet bent out.

Figure 4 is a cross section on the line 4, 4 of Figure 3. e5 Figure 5 is a perspective view of ya portion of j a wall. When the metal is vcoated with vitreous enamel or porcelain, the wall thusformed presents the appearance of a wall faced with porcelain tiles built of the completed blocks and filled 50 with a binding material.

Figure 6 is a cross section on the line 6, 6 of Figure 5.

Figure 'l is a detail view of the Joined corner of a block.

Figure t is a perspective View of a modified form of block lled with a solid composition.

Figure 9 is a vertical section of a supporting wall and two superposed blocks of the type shown in Figure 8 set against it.

Figure 10 is a plan view of two blocks of the lil) When used in combination with a supporting type shown in Figure 8 set against a supporting wall which lis shown in horizontal section.

Figure l1 is a view similar to Figure 10 showing a slightly modified form of block.

Figure 12 is a perspective view of a part partially built corner of a building or the like showing a special L-shaped form of corner block.

Figure 13 is a perspective view of one of the coirner blocks shown in Figure 12 from the rear si e.

Figure 14 is a plan view of a cornerof a building having a supporting wall which is shown in ection, the blocks being filled with a. binding maeria Figure 15 is a vertical section on the line 15,

15 of Figure 13.

Figure 16 is a perspective view of a completed` block comprising ametal casing coated particularly as to the exposed sides and ends with vitreous enamel and filled with concrete or ceramic material, the block being withoutl interengaging lugs so that it is laid like an ordinary brick.

Figure 17 is a fragmentary cross section through the block shown in Figure 16.

Referring iirstvto the embodiment shown in Figures 1 to' '7, the out or punched blank shown in Figure 1 is bent up along the lines 1 and 2 to form flanges 3 and 4. These flanges have notches 5 which permit the blank tobe folded along the lines 6. 7 and 3 to form a hollow block or casing open at two opposite sides. One end of the blank has a ilap 9 which is bent up along the line l0 to provide a lapping portion to be secured to the adjoining end of the blank by welding or clinching or in any suitable manner, thus forming an unbroken ring. The term ring is used in its broader sense denoting van enclosure or loop not intended to be circular. The hollow block of the invention is preferably open at the top and bottom. The corners 1l are cut o at a'45 angle so as to come into abutting relationwhen the blank is folded. The flange 3 is provided with guides 12 which may be bent out to form aligning and interlocking means for contiguous blocks to guide them and hold them in the predetermined relation. 'I'he hollow blocks or casings after being set up as shown in Figures 5 and 6 are filled with a binding `material such as concrete. The casings form the permanent facing of the finished wall on both sides and are preferably coated with porcelain enamel to give the effect of porcelain tiling, with increased resistive properties.

The modified form of block shown in Figures 8 to 10 consists of two sheets of metal, one of which-forms two ends and one side of the block and has flaps 15 which are bent over and secured to the other sheet which for-ms the fourth side of the block. The ends of the block have projections ld which form inter-loc means to hold the blades in predetermined assembled relation and guides to assist in assembling the blocks. These guides or lugs 16 may be of any preferred construction. They are preferably bent out of alignment with the end walls of the block to increase the bond between superposed casings and hence the filled blocks. The top and bottom edges of the sides of the-block are bent laterally t-o form supporting flanges 18, 18. The flange 18 is bent voutwardly in order to space the casings and hence the blocks from the supporting wall of sheathing or the like 19 to form an air space between the two walls in the construction known as brick veneer. The flanges 18 are preferably made shorter than the block so as to form passages 20 connecting the air spaces between the flanges 18.

The block shown in Figure 8 is nearly iilled with a solid composition 21 which may be concrete or ceramic or any preferred composition. The outer surfaces of this composition filling lie within the plane of the edges of the block in order to provide spaces 22 into which the guides 16 project, and also to provide pockets 22" to receive a layer of mortar 22 for binding the blocks together.

In the modification shown in Figure 11 the fiaps 23 by which the two sheets of which the block or rather the casing is made are joined together are extended to form outwardly curving gripping members 24 adapted to interlock with compleforms the outer sides 26 and 27 of the L and the two end walls 28 and 29, while the other sheet form's the two inner sides 30 and 31. The ends of the longer sheet have aps 32 and 33 which overlap and are secured to the ends of the shorter sheet and which are prolonged to form curved gripping members 34 and 35 adapted to engage the trough shaped strips 25.

The block shown in Figures 16 and 17 consists of an outer metal casing 40, substantially like that shown in Figure 3 and previously described, except that it lacks positioning lugs 12 and the intumed top and bottom edges of the casing at 41 being preferably straight and fiat, i. e., in the plane of the top and bottom surfaces of the block. These casings or hollow blocks are preferably coated with vitreous enamel or porcelain indicated at 42 as to the entire outside of the metal casing, i. e., the exposed side and end surfaces thereof, and are filled at the factory or prior to laying, with concrete or other suitable composition. The blocks or bricks are laid after the manner of ordinary brick, and the surface of the wall presents the appearance of a wall faced with porcelain tiles, but it is better adapted to withstand vibration to which it would be subject in the construction of subway stations, railway sta- The casings are annealed and cleaned to remove all dirt and scale and are then coated with porcelain and burned. I prefer to use one coat of vitrified porcelain which, after drying, is burned' at 1800 F., and to follow this with two coats of more elastic porcelain successively applied, dried, and burned at 1600 F. The last coat of porcelain can be colored as desired.

It is to be understood that the particular forms of block shown are merely illustrative and that many other modifications may be made without exceeding the scope of this invention.

I have thus described specifically and in detail a wall insert for plastered walls embodying the features of the invention in the preferred form, the description beingfspecific and in detail, in order that the manner of constructing, ap-

lplying, operating and using the invention may be fully understood, however, the specific terms herein are used descriptively rather than in a limiting sense. the scope of the invention bein defined in the claims:

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. As an article of manufacture a metal covered brick comprising an unbroken ring of sheet metal having the form of a block open at the top and bottom, the same being filled with composition and being flat as to the top and bottom and without projection and capable of being laid like an l ordinary brick.

2. As an article of manufacture a covering for concrete blocks comprising an unbroken ring of sheet metal having the form of a hollow casing open at two opposite sides, the wall of said block 113 having projecting portions adapted to serve as guides for contiguous blocks whereby the casings are arranged to form ahollow wall adapted to be filled with concrete, one side of the covering having the longest dimension of the block, being 115 fiat so as to form a wall with a continuous nat metal surface when the blocks are assembled.

3. As an article of manufacture a metal covered building block comprising an unbroken ring of sheet metal having the form of a hollow casing open at two opposite sides, the wall of said block havi'ng projecting portions adapted to serve as guides for contiguous blocks, a portion of said projecting portions being bent out of alignment with-the wall of said block, the casing being filled with composition and having cavitiesto receive said projecting portions.

4. In a wall construction, a wall composed of casings, each casing being formed of a continuous unbroken ring .composed of a single piece of sheet 13o metal and being open at top and bottom and having the edges of the top and bottom turned inwardly to hold the filling, a filling of solid material in said casings, and interlocking members connecting each said block to said supporting wall, said casings providing a continuous receptacle for said filling and the casings being a permanent portion of the wall. the casings having each a fiat surface on one side winch is opposite to the interlocking members whereby the resulting wall presents anouter iiat metallic surface.

5. In a wall construction, a supporting wall, a wall composed of casings, each casing being` formed by an unbroken ring of sheet metal and being open at top and bottom, said casings forming a continuous receptacle for filling, a lling of plaster in said blocks, projecting members on said supporting wall, and projecting flanges on said casings adapted to interlock with said pro- 150 jecting members, said casings i'orming'a` permanent portion of the wall.-

6. As an article of manufacture a metal covered block comprising a ring of sheet metal having the form of a block open at two opposite sides,

and a lier of solid material in said block, the

metal being coated with porcelain and the block being flat as to the tbp and bottom.`

"7. As an article of manufacture a metal covered brick comprising a ring of sheet metal havingv the form of a block open at two opposite sides, and a iiller of solid material partially illling said block, and ns on the metal adapted to project intio the next block where the ller is omitted, the partial lling providing for a mortar interlock.

d. As an article of manufacture a. metal covered v block comprising an unbroken ring ci sheet metal having the form of a block open at two opposite of sheet metal having the form of a. block open at two opposite sides, and a porcelain coating on said metal, the edges of the metal adjacent t'he openings being turned inwardly to hold the concrete and the porcelain coated surface being at so that the assembled blocks form a wall having a at enameled surface.

10. `As an article of manufacture, a porcelain coated covering for a brick comprising a ring of sheet metal having the form of the brick, and open at two opposite sides, a portion ci the ring adjacent the open sides being turned inwardly to secure the covering to the brick, the sheet metal covering having one outer surface dat without projecting portions so as to form a wall with a.

:dat-metal surface, said surface extending the the full length of the brick.

RUDOLPH W. LOEFFLER.

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